Soul rock singer-songwriter straight outta Albany.

Reviews

“With One Three Six Nine Lights, [Thomas] rocks harder than on any of his previous five albums, all of which are first-rate. With Prince as his primary musical touchstone, Thomas’ uncompromising songs are specifically local, yet gloriously global. He writes smart, and he writes from the heart, balancing intellect, passion and politics.”

“Opener ‘Muse,’ which (perhaps unwittingly) borrows a verse melody from Springsteen’s ‘Blinded by the Light,’ lays out the band mentality from the get-go-it’s one of the most ‘rock’ tracks in Thomas’ great catalog. The sound of the electric guitar, a staple of his live sets over the years, has never been as front-and-center as it is here; wailing Stratocaster solos simply dominate some songs. He is as self-referential and Capital Region-centric as ever-characters, and entire musical phrases, from elsewhere in his career make cameos here-but that’s what makes him such a compelling artist. Few performers could maintain such a thematic through line in their material without actually copying themselves; Bryan Thomas continues to blaze new trails (besides the one that leads to Delmar) while staying true to himself, and to his hometown.”

“Combining an exotic blend of Springsteen’s guitar power, Prince’s voice and both artists’ songwriting sensibilities, Thomas takes it to another level. In ‘Muse,’ he sings about how you can ‘take the girl out of Schenectady’ while shifting in and out of an airy falsetto, as his clever phrasing floats over minimalist guitars – that is until the upright piano solo. ‘Lights’ has some real crunch, but the stunning ‘Sam’ – in which he imagines Troy’s Uncle Sam viewing pictures of interracial relationships, and what his reaction might be in 1766 – is maybe Thomas at his best. ”

“Thomas has a history of releasing nothing but stellar CDs. His fifth, One Three Six Nine Lights, is no exception. The triple threat of knock-out vocals, intelligent songwriting and signature guitar style make for an ultimately satisfying listening experience.”

“We recently bounced a few questions Bryan’s way (that would be toward Delmar). He emailed answers back about finding the funk at pre-school soccer games, why he name-checks local places in his songs so often, and what he thinks is the best-kept secret about the Capital Region.”